CONTIDENTIAL HACK 341|1
1/1150Z MAR 70
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
30.51
13.MAR.279
TELNO 353 OF 10 MARCH 1979
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING AND PRIORITY WONG KONG GONE OFFICE
LONDON,
NAVAL REINFORCEMENT,
MIPT.
T. ON THE SEA, THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEM IS OF COURSE GREATLY AGGRAVATED BY THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE INFLUX BOTH IN SEA-GOING VESSELS AND SMALLER COASTAL CRAFT, ARRIVALS THIS YEAR HAVE BO FAR TOTALLED 11,800.
2. OUT OF THE FIVE RN PATROL CRAFT AT PRESENT BASED IN HONG KONG
THE NORMAL PRACTICE HAS BEEN FOR ONE TO BE ON PATROL, ONE AT 4-HOURS NOTICE AND THE REMAINDER OCCUPIED IN MAINTENANCE, OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS OR NAVAL CONTINUATION TRAINING, RECENTILY, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ADVANCED WARNING OF THE ARRIVAL OF LARGE VIETNAMESE SHIPS, WHILE STILL DEALING WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, WE HAVE STEPPED UP THE LEVEL OF OPERATIONS, ONE PATROL CRAFT IS NOW USED TO SEARCH THE SHIPPING AREA SOUTH OF THE SQUARE DOUNDARY: A SECOND IS ON PATROL FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK IN AN ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ROLE.
2. WE ARE ALSO USING AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE TO SPOT LARGE SHIPS ENGAGED IN THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE RACKET. IF A SUSPICIOUS VESSEL 10 SIGHTED, IT IS INTERCEPTED BY THE DUTY PATROL CRAFT. THE SECOND CRAFT THEN HAS TO BE MOVED FROM ITS ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ROLE TO FILL THE GAP IN THE PATROL AREA SOUTH OF HONG KONG. UNLESS A THIRD PATROL CRAFT IS PERMANENTLY ON DUTY THERE IS THEN NO MEANS OF FILLING THE GAP LEFT IN THE ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SCREEN, GIVEN THE EXISTING SIZE OF THE RN PRESENCE
HERE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE SUCH A THIRD CRAFT WITHOUT
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SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR NAVAL TRAINING AND THE SERVICE CONDITIONS
(AND THEREFORE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY) OF THOSE CONCERNED.
4. WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE
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KEPVEELS, IN DOTH LARGE AND SHALL BOATS, WILL CONTINUC
THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR. FURTHERMORE, PART OF THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA (PARAS 2 AND 3 IN MY FIRST TELEGRAM) WILL ALSO ARRIVE BY SEA,